"Freedom to convert" is counterproductive as a generalized doctrine. It fails to come to terms with the complex interrelationships between self and society that make the concept of individual choice meaningful. Hence, religious conversion undermines, and in extremes would dissolve, that individual autonomy and human freedom.

Friday, January 25, 2008

Americans are becoming more Hindu

Lisa Miller

Reincarnation, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is "rebirth in new bodies or forms of life; especially: a rebirth of a soul in a new human body." This ancient belief, a core belief of more than 800 million Hindus, has been in the news, most recently because of allegations in Andrew Morton's new book, "Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography." In his book, Morton says some Scientologists hoped that Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes's gorgeous daughter, Suri, would be the reincarnation of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, a man who died more than 20 years ago. The Church of Scientology denies this in a statement: "The church does not and never has believed any newborn is the reincarnation of its Founder, Mr. Hubbard—never, never, never."

Whatever some Scientologists think of Suri's soul, reincarnation is an increasingly mainstream belief. Madonna has said she's a believer. So has Kate Hudson. According to a 2003 Harris poll, 40 percent of people aged 25 to 29 believed they would return to earth in a different body after they die. Popular New Age movements such as Scientology and Kabbalah teach some version of reincarnation, and best-selling books, notably by the Yale-trained psychiatrist Brian Weiss and by the therapist Carol Bowman, have brought the concept into the mainstream. Weiss and Bowman each argue that people can find happiness and peace through "regression therapy," in which they learn about the problems faced by their former selves. (Weiss is also teaching a controversial new therapy he calls "progression therapy," in which he helps people see their future selves as well.)

Stephen Prothero, religion professor at Boston University and a student of Hinduism, has an interesting theory about Americans' interest in reincarnation. As life in America gets better and better, as people become more prosperous and more educated, the idea of leaving the earth forever—even with a mitigating belief in heaven—has less appeal than the idea of coming back. "We all want the here and now, and reincarnation is about the here and now," Prothero writes in an e-mail. "Reincarnation is fueled because now people want to come back and live again."

Reincarnation would seem to be at odds with mainstream Christianity, the majority religion in the United States. Traditionally, Christians have believed that, after death, their body and soul separate temporarily only to be reunited, at the end of time, in the general resurrection of the dead. Belief in reincarnation presents logistical—not to mention theological—problems. If souls keep cycling back to earth, which body is theirs at the resurrection? What happens to all the other bodies they've inhabited? Prothero argues that the popularity of reincarnation correlates to a waning of belief in physical resurrection among Christians. That's why a third of Americans choose to be cremated these days, up from virtually none 30 years ago: they believe their souls are eternal, not their bodies. "Americans," Prothero says, "are becoming more Hindu."

Traditional Christians are urgently trying to reclaim Christianity from encroaching Eastern and New Age beliefs. Jeffrey Burton Russell, a Christian theologian and emeritus professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, has spent his career trying to formulate ideas of the afterlife that jibe with Christian tradition but remain appealing to contemporary believers. These do not include, he says, either "reincarnation or an afterlife where people eat Hershey bars." As for Suri Cruise, she's much cuter than Hubbard—and as any parent will tell you, all children come straight from heaven.

HOW COULD EXPLAIN INEQUALITY OF HUMAN BIRTHS AND LIVING BEINGS WITHOUT THE BACKGROUND OF ATHMA,KARMA,JANMA,MOKSHA.OUT OF ABOVE IMMORTAL SOUL(ATHMA)IS ONE ENJOYING THE JANMAS AFTER JANMAS BY RE-BIRTHS AFTER DEATHS IN CYCLE AND ITS INEQUALITY IN HUMANBIRTHS ARE DUE TO ITS KARMA-GOODBAD DEEDS EXAMPLE,WHO COULD YOU EXPLAIN FOR AN ITALIAN LADY WHO DID NOT SEE THE INDIAN MAP TILL 20 YEARS AFTERSCHOOL EDUCATION HAVING SERVED AS A WAITRESS IN A LONDON HOTEL BY VIRTUE OF HER LOVE WITH AN INDIAN FUTURE P M TO BE NOW IN PLACE FAR AWAY FROM HER BIRTH PLACE AS A REMOTE CONTROLED PROXY P M RULINGA BIG NATION IN THE WORLD. WE HINDUS CALL AS HER KARMA IN PREVIOUS BIRTHS.YOU CHRISTIANS HAS ONLY ONE ANSWER- JESUS HAS GIVEN HIS BLESSINGS TO HER BECOUSE HE LOVES HER V MUCH. DOES IT MEAN YOUR GOD IS EITHER IMPARTIAL GOD ORJEALOUS GOD (AS SAID IN BIBLE)TOBLESS HER WITH BIG FORTUNE EVER IMAGINED BY HER, WHILE MANY PEOPLEINCLUDING PRIESTS,ARCHBISHOPS,EVANGALISTS AND MANY PEOPLE PRAYING THIS GOD FOR 24 YEARS WERE DENIEDAND DEPRIVED SUCH FAVOUR AND BLESSING.IN HINDUISM, WE CALL EVERY ONE AS SON OF GOD AND EVERY ONE AS DAUGHTER OF GOD AS GOD RESIDES IN THEIR HEARTS AS ANTHARYAMI,PARMATHAMA WITHIN US,WHILE FOR CHRISTIANS ONLY JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD AND OTHERS ARE ONLY SINNERS WHOSE SALVATION DEPENDS UPON THEIR PRAYERS TO LORD.ONLY WITH THE CONCEPT OF PREVIOUS BIRTHS,KARMAS AND IMMORTAL SOUL,ONE COULD EXPLAIN WHY SUCH INEQUALITY IN BIRTHS WHICH INCLUDESALL LIVING BEINGS LIKE BIRDS,ANIMALS,TREESPLANTS,CREATURES BESIDES HUMAN BEINGS ECT .CHIRISTIANTY NEVER TALK ANYTHING ABOUT LIVING BEINGS LIKE BIRDS,ANIMALS AND VEGITATION LIKE TREES,PLANTS ECT WHICH HAS LIFE FORCE.TREE TAKES OXYGEN FOR SURVIVAL AND RELEASE CARBON DI OXIDE.UNLIKE HUMAN BEINGS,TREES DO NOT HAVE ANY INTELLIGENCE BUT HAVE A LIFE LIKE HUMAN BEINGS. HINDUISM HAS ANSWER TO EVERY ASPECT OF SCIENCE UNLIKE CHIRSTIANITY WHICHHAS NO SPIRITUAL,NO SCIENCE,NO LOGICAL REASONS TO EXPLAIN INEQUALITY BUT ONLY A COMMERCIAL OUTLOOK.SHAME ON CRUEL DESERT GOD RELIGION.LET CHRISITANS REALISE THE TRUTH AND EMBRASS THEIR FOREFATHERS FAITH NOW LIKE WESTENER

What a logic in hinduism!A human may be born as grass, animal or bird in the next birth. Good logic! So trees, animals and birds we see now are once humans!!Does your gods all people as daugters and sons? Then how your gods get married? How Krishna played(?) with gopikas?

inequality and inequity among society and all living beings are due to karmas in previous births.why athiests like M K who did only school education enjoying fruits of life with status and money.willjesus grant such grace to non believer of god like him.that is where the law of karma applies.yes human births takes different births as animals,birds,plants or trees before it reaches final salvation depending upon karma.that is why once athma(soul) departs the bodies,hindus cremateit with fire.for xtians,soul and body both die as they do not believe in immortal soul and hence no previous birth and karma attached to them.so both soul and bodies are put to rest for jesus second call on judgement day.can you explain why such inequalityand inequity and disparities in our society and in living beings with christian theory without applying the logic of hindus core belief of immortal soul,janmas(previous births),karmas (good and bad deeds).bible talks of satan asroot cause of such inequality and working against christ.do you know in bible in all four gospels,many verses talk lord as''bright morning star '' and in many verses as ''evening star''.it refers only one planet venus which is the brightest sparklingappearing in the sky both in morning and evening and known as''morning star''and ''evening star'so plant venus is portrayed as''jesus ''as son of god or messenger of god or man sent by god

same time satan is also portrayed as ''venus ''becouse out of seven angels, lucifier angel which is closer to god turned to be aserpent and spoiled the mind of adam and eve and made them eat forbidden fruit.hence god booted out lucifier along with adam/eveto earth.once lucifer fell in earthit was known as satan and it becomes a satanic forces against christ - as per christianity.lucifier is known as ''venus ''yessame planet venus in christianity.

so both god christ and satan are venus= jesus vs satan is nothingbut venus vs venus. bible is full of lies,false,inconsistent ect.only belivers of flat earth in the world like you will cling to this commercial religion of lies,false (satanic becouse satan in sanskrit is ''nottruth'')visit-www.joyofsatan.org

you are correct.jesus is afraid tocome to earth again becouse sinnersin chuches are ready with their readymade cross and will crucify him again once he lands in earth on judgement day.so better he think not to visit these sinners to get caught before they crucify him again to wash their sins with the blood of him.already he lost blood before 2000 years to wash the sins of people lived during the period pre-christ i e from the day of creation of world to the death of christ -those people sins.now with huge population in the world and many new converted xtiansspread in all countries,on secondcoming of jesus,he has to wash thesins of many people.sinners are ready with readymade cross everywhere. so better for jesus not to come again to spill blood.

1. Could somebody explain how reincarnation accounts for the ever increasing population of the world? Where does those extra souls come from?

2. I believe the most privileged form of birth according to Hinduism is human, but doesn't it make sense that being born as a dog in the West would be much more privileged than being born as a lower caste in India or in Ethiopia or Somalia?

3. So finally all animals n people should be born as a Brahmin in some Indian family to be able to be relived from this cycle of birth n death. Yet if you hold this info from the rest of globe how would the people come to know such a thing exist.

Well, that's what missionaries does. Go to the corners of the world to proclaim the gospel. Let the one who hears let him hear. Don't force anyone to covert as anything which is acted upon by force would react. The conversion has to happen from within each hearts. "All have sinned n fallen short of the glory of God. It's by grace that you have been saved by faith and not by deeds (karma) lest no man should boast.

The qualities like envy, selfishness etc. are inherent in humans b'coz we r born sinful. That's why we don't have to teach a child to be selfish. It's by nature selfish. So we teach the child to be unselfish. That's why we don't have to teach anybody to be jealous b'coz man by nature has that quality. So we teach them not to be jealous. This is the essence of sinfulness in a human being which could only be cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ or Prajapati (of RigVeda)..

birth of humanbeings pass through8.1 millions (81 lacs)living beingsfrom marine creatures to birds to flies,to infection causing bactriato animals- any living creatures in land,air,water- this is essence of hinduism which attributes human life is the best form of soul-jivathma, while others are lesserform of souls with knowledge limited to fifth sense.while otheranimal,birds,marine life populationis getting reduced day by day,humanpopulation is increased due to good karmas done by above living creatures.for example,fish is the first creature of universe which was shown by lord vishnu avatara with fish form,then to tortoise to land,boar in land,below land,forestand lion in forest- all four avatars of lord vishnu are not in full human forms.now fishermen catches fishes and its populationis reduced,life span of flies,bactria are very less in hours and few days,mosqueto lives just 14 days time.besides many plants,trees,vegetations also partof this becouse souls are divided in to two - chit,achit- chit meanswith knowledge and achit means without knowledge.trees,plants andanimals,mosquitos,birds,flies,humanbeings are knowledgble.in human-masculine,feminine gendersimilarly in birds,animals,even plants,trees (with seeds production and without seeds )-trees breath air and release carbon di oxide-even trees/plantsleason to music and respond to music by scientific study done by an italian group-www.damanhur.orgtrees/plants bend towards the direction of music.so it proves that all above have souls.while trees/plants/fishes/flies/mosquetosbactria are destroyed,final form ofhuman beings are increased due to its karma.due to final kaliyuga,allother chits (chit -knowledgble soulincluding humans,birds/animals/treeplants ect with variations with limitations in order)increase.only human beings - jeevathama has unlimited knowledge but within the control of supreme soul.even dog senses the departure of soul from human bodies and weep with peculier sound as soul will goout of face,eyes,mouth ect and hence will be brighter in face before the soul depart from human bodies (death).you can read upanisheds,bagwath geetha to know more about the god creation of universe,human creation,departure of soul and where it reaches and finally ultimate salvation throughbakthi/karma yogas or rebirth through cycle of birth/deaths,chitand achit differences ect.more study on hinduism subjects like upanisheds,geetha will give an insight idea about your doubts.

birth of humanbeings pass through8.1 millions (81 lacs)living beingsfrom marine creatures to birds to flies,to infection causing bactriato animals- any living creatures in land,air,water- this is essence of hinduism which attributes human life is the best form of soul-jivathma, while others are lesserform of souls with knowledge limited to fifth sense.while otheranimal,birds,marine life populationis getting reduced day by day,humanpopulation is increased due to good karmas done by above living creatures.for example,fish is the first creature of universe which was shown by lord vishnu avatara with fish form,then to tortoise to land,boar in land,below land,forestand lion in forest- all four avatars of lord vishnu are not in full human forms.now fishermen catches fishes and its populationis reduced,life span of flies,bactria are very less in hours and few days,mosqueto lives just 14 days time.besides many plants,trees,vegetations also partof this becouse souls are divided in to two - chit,achit- chit meanswith knowledge and achit means without knowledge.trees,plants andanimals,mosquitos,birds,flies,humanbeings are knowledgble.in human-masculine,feminine gendersimilarly in birds,animals,even plants,trees (with seeds production and without seeds )-trees breath air and release carbon di oxide-even trees/plantsleason to music and respond to music by scientific study done by an italian group-www.damanhur.orgtrees/plants bend towards the direction of music.so it proves that all above have souls.while trees/plants/fishes/flies/mosquetosbactria are destroyed,final form ofhuman beings are increased due to its karma.due to final kaliyuga,allother chits (chit -knowledgble soulincluding humans,birds/animals/treeplants ect with variations with limitations in order)increase.only human beings - jeevathama has unlimited knowledge but within the control of supreme soul.even dog senses the departure of soul from human bodies and weep with peculier sound as soul will goout of face,eyes,mouth ect and hence will be brighter in face before the soul depart from human bodies (death).you can read upanisheds,bagwath geetha to know more about the god creation of universe,human creation,departure of soul and where it reaches and finally ultimate salvation throughbakthi/karma yogas or rebirth through cycle of birth/deaths,chitand achit differences ect.more study on hinduism subjects like upanisheds,geetha will give an insight idea about your doubts.

from creation(srishti)of universe to destruction (pralayam)by supremesoul,it takes 311.2 billion yearsas per calculation of vedic dharmasee www.mcremo.com,www.forbiddenarcheology.com.kaliyuga runs for past 5107 years and still to complete balance of4.1 million years for destruction of universe.hinduism only has science in everything-exactly gavein rig veda-speed of light-which was copied by newton.bagwath geethagave about law of thermo dynamicand astronomy was the gift of hinduism to universe.like human bodies have 9 holes controlled by nine plants,our jothish pandits gave good idea about the inequalityof human births and can predict the next birth from horoscope.western astrology which came in to being just 100 years with creation encouraged by vatigan met with its natural death as universally now everyone accept vedic astrology or karmic astrology for exact predictions.chrisitanity has no science but copied from vedas and some hindu scriputres and tried to dominate the entire world withoutany sprituality.www.joyofsatan.org will revel the truth of xtianity.